HALIFAX -- A member of an expert panel on managing Nova Scotia's natural resources says he's disappointed the province is moving away from a goal of reducing clear cutting by 50 per cent in forests.
Allan Shaw, chairman of the Shaw group of companies, says it appears the government has decided to "revert to the status quo" and is being largely supportive of the pulp and paper and forestry companies.
Natural Resources Minister Lloyd Hines says much has changed in the five years since the panel's report was released, including new scientific approaches to managing the forests.
As for clear cutting, Hines says it's easier to influence what happens on Crown land than it is on private woodlots, which account for the majority of the forest land in the province.
But Shaw says he doesn't see any evidence the province is using best practices on Crown land.
He says the level of clear cutting in Nova Scotia is still too high and is not sustainable.
